weight lifting and high intense cardio

[eveharris29 0]

I'm confused, I am 4 months post op and stopped losing weight after I started "Bodypump". My starting weight was 230 and I'm down 41 pounds. The weight loss is a little slow but is this caused by too much exercise? I eat healthy of course. so that's not my problem and I am not on any medications. Some people say you shouldn't work out until six months but what do you all believe?

[BeanitoDiego 153]

I was cleared for any and all exercise at 4 weeks post-op, and I haven't stopped. I am currently 5 months out from surgery, and I've definitely had a couple of stalls. But all of my fitness levels are rising and I feel great pushing myself to do more and more. At this point, I've noticed that my body composition is changing a lot more than the scale, and that is fine with me. I don't think I would be in the place where I'm at right now if I had to wait until February to begin exercising.

[catwoman7 11,278]

I was cleared for everything except weights at four weeks out. I was cleared for weights at eight weeks out. So you're fine as far as timing goes.

your weight loss likely stopped for one or both of these reasons: 1) you're in a stall. If so, make sure you're sticking to your program and stay off the scale for a while. You're going to lose weight if you're in a calorie deficit, so as long as you're compliant, the stall WILL break and you'll be on your way again.

2). you're building muscle. Muscle is much denser and heavier than fat. When you gain muscle, your weight can stay the same (or even increase), while at the same time, your body looks leaner. I wouldn't stop with the Body Pump classes, though. Your weight will eventually start heading down again if you stick to your eating plan.

[eveharris29 0]

43 minutes ago, catwoman7 said:

I was cleared for everything except weights at four weeks out. I was cleared for weights at eight weeks out. So you're fine as far as timing goes.

your weight loss likely stopped for one or both of these reasons: 1) you're in a stall. If so, make sure you're sticking to your program and stay off the scale for a while. You're going to lose weight if you're in a calorie deficit, so as long as you're compliant, the stall WILL break and you'll be on your way again.

2). you're building muscle. Muscle is much denser and heavier than fat. When you gain muscle, your weight can stay the same (or even increase), while at the same time, your body looks leaner. I wouldn't stop with the Body Pump classes, though. Your weight will eventually start heading down again if you stick to your eating plan.

I for one need the scale to move. I like where I'm at when it comes to fitness, but I really need to lose weight. I am four months post op and have only lost 41 pounds. That's not a lot of weight. Also, I have to eat more to make up for all the fitness making my sleeve useless. I paid out of pocket for this surgery and can't let it be for nothing. I am wondering if the fitness has hindered me instead of helping me lose weight. So, I decided to do an experiment to see if my hypothesis is correct. I need be sure that the excess fitness isn't slowing my weight loss down. I need that scale to move so bad right now.

[catwoman7 11,278]

17 minutes ago, eveharris29 said:

I for one need the scale to move. I like where I'm at when it comes to fitness, but I really need to lose weight. I am four months post op and have only lost 41 pounds. That's not a lot of weight. Also, I have to eat more to make up for all the fitness making my sleeve useless. I paid out of pocket for this surgery and can't let it be for nothing. I am wondering if the fitness has hindered me instead of helping me lose weight. So, I decided to do an experiment to see if my hypothesis is correct. I need be sure that the excess fitness isn't slowing my weight loss down. I need that scale to move so bad right now.

you need to temper your expectations a bit. At a starting weight of 230 lbs, you were lighter than many of us, and starting BMI is a big factor in how fast the weight comes off - at least initially. I'd lost 52 lbs by month 4 (where you are), but I also started off at almost 400 lbs. You are doing absolutely fine!

and the majority of us DO have occasional stalls. It's a normal part of the weight loss process. Your body has to stop once in a while to recalibrate before heading down again. As long as you stick to your eating plan, the stalls WILL break, but they usually last 1-3 weeks (mine were sometimes longer once I got past the one-year mark...but that's true of anyone once you get close to a normal BMI).

as long as the stalls and occasional fluctuations (which are also normal) aren't playing with your head, the daily weighing is fine. But it sounds like they were bothering you, which is why I suggested staying off the scale for a while. But it's fine to continue to weigh daily, of course. But remember there WILL be stalls and fluctuations, but as long as the overall trend is down, then you're doing fine.

[SomeBigGuy 110]

If you're really focussing on building muscle, that will definitely offset the scale number. However, in that case, that's ok to gain that back. Muscle weights 1.5x as much as fat, so it will definitely cause a difference, which is why you can't make the scale be your only benchmark for fitness success, especially after the first "half" or so of your expected weight loss. Doing so will negate the gains and promote muscle loss, which makes the exercise pointless. You will still lose weight overall, but you need to focus on the fat loss, not total weight specifically.

We all have weight we can't lose with our bones, organs, and in your case, increasing muscle mass. The scale doesn't account for that, so you can't judge your progress on that alone. You need to factor in all the other non-scale victories, like smaller clothing sizes, more endurance and stamina, increases in what you can lift, and other health related items like blood pressure, blood sugar, asthma, and coming off of meds you previously needed. Success is measured by a combination of all of those things. Focussing only on the scale number will drive you crazy as you progress.

It sounds like you're doing great if you're already able to do this much exercise! See if you can meet with a nutritionist or your doctor, and see if your calories, macros, and Fluid intake are where they need to be, and stay the course on it. You'll be able to power through the stall, and start to see all the other victories you are winning!

[eveharris29 0]

3 hours ago, catwoman7 said:

I was cleared for everything except weights at four weeks out. I was cleared for weights at eight weeks out. So you're fine as far as timing goes.

your weight loss likely stopped for one or both of these reasons: 1) you're in a stall. If so, make sure you're sticking to your program and stay off the scale for a while. You're going to lose weight if you're in a calorie deficit, so as long as you're compliant, the stall WILL break and you'll be on your way again.

2). you're building muscle. Muscle is much denser and heavier than fat. When you gain muscle, your weight can stay the same (or even increase), while at the same time, your body looks leaner. I wouldn't stop with the Body Pump classes, though. Your weight will eventually start heading down again if you stick to your eating plan.

I have to eat a lot more if I continue a heavier workout. How do you keep a deficit when you are doing heavier workouts so only four months after surgery?

[SomeBigGuy 110]

1 hour ago, eveharris29 said:

I have to eat a lot more if I continue a heavier workout. How do you keep a deficit when you are doing heavier workouts so only four months after surgery?

That is a good point that I didn't consider in my earlier response. I think you would need to check with a nutritionist or trainer to figure out what your target should be.

With more intense workouts, you'll definitely burn more, so its easier for your body to be in too big of a deficit, and think you're in starvation mode. In that case, its possible for some people to burn muscle and preserve fat since your body is in a defensive state. There will be a range where you're getting enough calories and Protein to build muscle, but still let the body know its safe to burn off the excess fat, but that's unique to everyone and would need a professional to help narrow down what that is for you.

But again, based on the numbers on your profile here, you're roughly half way through the excess weight loss target weight you had. The scale plays a part in the journey, but its not the only indicator of success, especially in the second half. Recognize the gains you're getting with the increased weights you can lift, increased reps/sets, more endurance, and energy. The scale can remain the same or even gain a few pounds, but that's due to the muscle weighing more than the fat it replaced, and during that time you may have lost a shirt or pants size and gotten stronger!

Obsessing on the scale number alone leads to stress, which leads to increased cortisol (stress hormone) production, which in itself tells the body to store all the fat it can because it falsely things there's a survival emergency. I know its impossible to avoid all stress, and its needed for us in short bursts, but learning to escape from chronic ongoing stress and worry will also help your body burn off the remaining fat.

[BlondePatriotInCDA 593]

18 hours ago, eveharris29 said:

I'm confused, I am 4 months post op and stopped losing weight after I started "Bodypump". My starting weight was 230 and I'm down 41 pounds. The weight loss is a little slow but is this caused by too much exercise? I eat healthy of course. so that's not my problem and I am not on any medications. Some people say you shouldn't work out until six months but what do you all believe?

Muscle weighs 7 times more than fat, so if you're weight lifting the scale might move downwards more slowly, but the inches come off quickly! I used to be a fitness/body building instructor and I'd hear this complaint a lot. Be more concerned with how you feel and how your clothes fit instead with if you're body building or free weight lifting.

Edited January 10, 2024 by BlondePatriotInCDA

[ChunkCat 737]

Just for a little perspective, a good rule of thumb is that on average people lose about 50% of their excess weight by 6 months, then it will take the following 6-12 months to lose the remaining weight because loss slows the closer you get to goal. Your 50% mark is 45 lbs, so you are technically ahead of schedule probably when it comes to your weight loss. Take a moment to let that sink in and Celebrate it! That's a big deal!

Yes, working out for some people slows their weight loss according to the scale because they are exchanging fat for muscle and their Fluid balance changes. But, another issue is that some people don't eat enough to fuel their body and workouts when they are in a losing phase, which will also cause weight loss to slow down. You need a session with a bariatric trained nutritionist to help you work out what your target calories and macros are so you don't end up in starvation mode and ruin that nicely reset metabolism you got compliments of the surgery!

Stalls are a normal part of it. I stalled one month out from surgery for 5 weeks. It was really lame and I have way more to lose than you do. But it is all part of the game! Putting too much stress on your body and emotions will definitely trigger slower weight loss too as was mentioned above. This is a marathon, not a sprint...

ETA: Almost forgot---are you monitoring your measurements?? Most of us lose inches when we aren't losing pounds according to the scale. That's because even when the scale is at a halt, our body composition is changing! Take those measurements!!

Edited January 11, 2024 by ChunkCat